Evening Star Newspaper, November 8, 1936, Page 12

A—12 =* PTCAN COLONY DECLARED SOUND Cousin Marriages Studied . by Biologist, Who Writes Book. the Assoclated Press. “The men of H. M. S. Bounty, who mutinied in 1789 an destablished & colony in 1780 on Jonely Pitcairn Is- land in the South Pacific, have pro- vided new scientific evidence that close inbreeding does not necessarily cause » decline in physical and mental vigor of offspring. Dr. Harry L. Shapiro, biologist, who made an intensive study of the island and its inhabitants, has com- pleted a book on his findings which tends to disprove the popular idea that cousin marriages are biologic- ally harmful. Accurate and complete records of marriages, births and deaths have been kept by the islanders almost from the day when Christian, Young, Mills, McCoy. Quintal and Adams and the nine polynesian women who went with them from Tahiti landed on Pitcairn. Dr. Shapiro declared. The result is the most extensive rec- ord of a human experiment in cross mating between two races and the resulting close inbreeding through six generations, which has ever been com- piled, according to geneticists of the United States Department of Agricul- ture, who reviewed the material. Seventh Generation Healthy. Pictures of the healthy children of the sixth and seventh generation were declared to be almost sufficient in themselves to prove Dr. Shapiro's point. Despite the restricted ancestry of these children, with frequent cousin, nephew-aunt, and niece-uncle mar- riages, “the islanders are robust and healthy,” he declared. “There medi- cal record is good, with no evidence of degenerative diseases peculiar to them. Abnormalities of physical structure are practically non-existent on Pitcairn.” While a decline in the birth rate in recent years might plausibly be at- tributed to the close inbreeding, “other causes might more plausibly be | evoked to explain it,” he added. The only general defect attributable | to inbreeding was a degeneration in the teeth of the people, but a similar | degeneration might be found among other racial groups who had not been forced to mate so closely. 200 in Group Studied. “Actually I knew of only two or three who were distinctly below par | mentally—a small proportion in & group of 200,” Dr. Shapiro said. “Sev- eral were dull but able to manage their affairs efficiently enough. The rest seemed to fit into the average range of intelligence. All in all, therefore, I can only conclude that inbreeding as far as my evidence goes, THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, k) After six generations of inbreeding, these descendants of the mutineers of the Bounty, who settled on Pitcairn Island in the South Pacific, are reported robust and healthy by Dr. Harry L. Shapiro, biologist, who made an intensive study of the island and its inhabitants. His findings tend to discredit the popular belief that cousin marriages are biologically harmful. —A.P. Photo. has not caused degeneration among the Pitcairn Islanders.” And, in contradiction of popular ideas, the inbreeding forced on the islanders by circumstance actually re- sulted in a surprising reproductive vigor, he added. From 1790, when the colony was established, the popu- lation more than doubled in the suc- ceeding 18 years, doubled in the next 18 years, doubled again in the next 21 years, and almost doubled again in the succeeding 20 years. By 1934 the six mutineers who lived | long enough to have children had a living progeny exceeding 800 on | Pitcairn and Norfolk Island and an | additional 200 who have wandered away, Dr. Shapiro pointed out, term- ing the increase “a prodigious spec- tacle of human breeding.” (Pitcairn is 4,150 miles southwest of Panama and 3,775 miles southwest of Hawail. The nearest island is Tahiti, 1.400 miles west and north.) AR URR IS Elevator (Continued From First Page’) she would meet employes of the de- partment whom she would not ordl-| | Free Estimates—Day or Night narily see. Hopkins, she disclosed, got into the elevator by mistake. Coming to the newly-completed building for a con- ference, his taxi driver let him out |at the private entrance. The W. P. A. administrator opened D. C., NOVEMBER 8, RITES SET TOMORROW FOR MRS. C. L. CARSON Mrs. Hallie Fox Carson, 33, of 659 Hamilton street, registered nurse, died here Friday after a long illness. Mrs. Carson was the wife of Charles L. Carson, an attorney in the General Land Office, to whom she was married in 1928. She was graduated in nurs- ing at Children’s Hospital in 1924. Funeral services will be held at 9:39 am. tomorrow at the home of her mother, Mrs, Mattie Neff Fox, 1346 Shephierd street. Rev. R. D. Bowman, 1936—PART ONE. thren, will officiate. Burial will be at New Market, Va. Besides her husband and mother, Mrs. Carson leaves four sisters, Miss Dora Fox, Miss Pauline Fox and Mrs. Benjamin McConchie, all of this city, and Mrs. G. V. Dingledine, Elkton, Va., and a brother, Holmes Fox, of Washington. Her father was the late John M. Fox. B CARDINAL PACELLI SAILS Ouits U, 8. After Conducting Itinerarium at St. Patrick’s. NEW YORK, November 7 (#)— tary of state, sailed for Italy today after conducting an infrequently used service called the itinerarium—which means prayers for a safe voyage. The visiting prelate, the highest dignitary of the Catholic Church ever to visit this country, entered St. Pat- rick’s Cathedral with Patrick Cardinal Hayes. In the audience of 2,000 ‘were many priests, students in caps and gowns, and a delegation of Catholic war veterans in uniform. After the service, the cardinal was driven with police escort to a pier, where he sailed for Italy. Austria has been the favorite tour- D. 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